If you are one of the many men or women who develop heavy fatty tissue under the eyes or are even born with it, you probably look older than you really are.
In fact heavy under eye fat, that looks like a pouch, can and does add years onto a persons age and if you feel you look older it makes you feel bad and it becomes a constant cycle that can even develop into depression.
Some people have this condition due to water retention in the under eye area, this can be treated with lymphatic drainage, but for others the cause could be genetics which has given them pads of fatty tissue just below their eyes.
The only recognized treatment that permanently removes fatty tissue or eye bags from under the eye is invasive cosmetic surgery, which is increasingly popular.
Transconjunctival Lower Eyelid Blepharoplasty
This procedure is performed through microscopic incisions, by removing the fat deposits from inside the lower lid. This can be done either with laser or any other fine cutting instrument.
The advantages
- There is no visible scarring
- Less chance of the lower eyelid pulled away from the eye (lower eye ectropion)
- More precise fat sculpture
- Less bruising and swelling
Disadvantages
The success of this procedure depends on the amount of fatty tissue to be removed. The larger the eye bag the more possibility there is of being left with an excess of skin which may form into wrinkles. Therefore this procedure is only normally performed on younger patients.
Transcutaneous Lower Eyelid Blepharoplasty
For older patients or those with more fat to be removed the procedure is performed under the lash line and then may be followed with a Chemical Peel or Laser Resurfacing to tighten up the area.
Healing Process
Recovery time varies from person to person depending on their ability to heal. There will be a certain amount of bruising and swelling but this should disappear over the course of a few days and the results are normally excellent. However, final results will not be experienced until approximately 6 months after the procedure.
The risks
As in all invasive surgery there are some risks.
- Infection – unlikely to be serious due to the sterile conditions of surgery.
- Continued bleeding – may necessitate reopening the wound and cauterizing the offending vessel.
- The wound may open slightly – not a great problem as the wound can either be taped or receive more sutures
- White cysts may form on the scar line – can easily be removed.
- Too much skin removed – dependent on the severity of removal further surgery may be required
- Too little skin removed – unsatisfactory result resulting in further surgery
- Too much fat removed – may leave a hollowed under eye look. This can happen gradually over years after surgery.
- Too little fat removed – may require further surgery.
- Excessive external scarring – this applies to those having Transcutaneous Lower Eyelid Blepharoplasty and can be due to a poor healing process on those with sensitive or damaged skin.
- Excessive internal scarring – this applies to Transconjunctival Lower Eyelid Blepharoplasty and can result in shrinkage of the internal lower lid resulting in distortion. Further surgery may help.
Therefore it is vitally important to do your homework when looking for a reliable cosmetic surgeon as the first thing to establish is whether your under eye bags are due to water retention or fatty tissue.
The procedures can vary from surgeon to surgeon and whilst it may be something you have decided to do and want it done now, you will get better results if you do thorough research.
I have swelling under my left eye , had surgery, they took out a small amount to send to the lab.. it was fatty tissue . the doctor told me he couldn’t do any-more surgery, instead he gave me a steriod shot under my eye thinking this might help the swelling and fatty tissue . is this a safe and effective procedure ??
You have my very sincere sympathy but I cannot possibly comment.
You must have faith in the competency of your doctor. I feel sure that if he has any doubts he will seek the advise of a specialist.
Ask him and if you have any doubts then it is up to you to decide whether to get a second opinion or not.
I hope that your problem will soon clear up and that you will have no further cause to be concerned.
steroids r only temporary measures even with the long acting corticosteroids…
ask your doc wat he s planning to do for long term management and get back……..
Im a student but due to my under eye fat it looks like i have dark circles and people say i look mad. i wonder how much the Transconjunctival Lower Eyelid Blepharoplasty cost usually ranges from??
I have one question how much does it cost to remove under eye bags?
Thank for putting “or are even born with it” Because i am definitly born with it, im only 18. i realised in grade 9 that if you smile alot the bags under your eyes don’t look so big and in your face, so thats what i started doing walking around with a smile on my face for no reason, i know thats a good thing to do but im tired of looking like an idiot smiling all the time. There is a video of me on my first birthday and i had huge bags under my eyes, my little bro who is to young to understand that some things you just don’t say out loud said “why does jenny always have bags under her eyes” the whole family went dead silent. These are supposed to be the best years of my life, young beautiful not old and tired looking. I even started wearing fake glasses just to hide the bags under my eyes, they look cheap and stupid and will ruin my eyes but im running out of options, my crush once asked me if he could try on my glasses, and i said know because then he would find out that i’d been walking around with fake glasses. The only hope i have left is surgery, and i don’t have money and i don’t want to ask my parents. Im so depressed, i don’t even go out or have fun, because im always afraid the lighting will be bad and it will make me look worse. im tired of looking tired. i know i wrote alot but i have never told anyone how a actually feel and the great lengths i go to just to find them, i really needed to unload. thanks for listening.
jenny, i am a guy and i feel the same way. I hope we can figure out a way to get rid of them. good luck.
hi everyone, i have the same problem with lower eyelid fat… as i have got older it has aged me by 10 years… i went to see a consultant yesterday and asked for advice… he can help me but it would cost about £6000 which i dont have… does anyone know if there are any herbal remedies out there???? thanks
Hi Anita
I understand your reluctance to spend such an amount but unfortunately if that’s the going rate that’s what you’ll have to pay. As far as I am aware I there are no any herbal remedies to help but you could try using a cream for under eyes that promises to reduce excess fluid.
I have a weird problem and need help PLEASE. My right eye has extra fat and when i smile it makes the fat push up and to my lower eyelid, creating a noticable weird line under one eye. I am very self concious when I smile and possibly going to see a doctor soon.
Hi
Sorry to hear of your problem. The fact is that we all have slightly lopsided faces ie nobody has a perfectly symmetrical face. If this is really bothering you I should certainly go and see a doctor.
Does the undereye surgery procedure causes the eyes to look smaller? When they do this procedure and you have big eyes, do they make the eyes smaller ? I have had this done and I have noticed that my eyes are smaller than before. I didnt know this would happen as the surgeant didn’t say this would occur. I was also wondering if there is a way to reverse this or fix this. I loved my big eyes and now I have to settle for smaller eyes.
Hello Angie
Having fat removed from under your eyes shouldn’t affect the size of your eyes. If you are unhappy with the procedure I suggest you go back to the surgeon and tell him the problem.
Also read about Tear Trough fillers for some more information.
I have the same problem as Jenny, I don’t know if I should get under eye surgery because I’m currently going to school and how am I going to hide te scars under my eye, also I have really huge bags under my eyes, I’m scared that the surgeon will screw it up.
I am 46 years old. I’ve noticed bags have formed under my lower eyelids as well. It is not easy to accept things that change our facial appearance. I truly feel how this affects our self esteem and may cause fear of looking older when you feel great and active. I’ve used eye stress gels (st.ives) and copper eye lotion(neutrogena )have worked but have been discontinud largely because I strongly believe that the big major makup companies have learned of their positive results that they buy them out for us to spend a lot of money. However I strongly believe also if we are made to survive on this earth where there are live youthful plants and flowers that we can either eat or smell(raw fruits,vegetables and very leafy ones) you can improve your internal health mechanism. We exercise by doing crunches to flatten our stomaches and tone and tighten other areas of the body why not do the same for eyes. The eyes have a muscle that is circular for squinting,blinking and rolling and if there is that uninvited fat under the eyes I can believe that you can not only burn some of that fat off but improve your vision. Sure there is no known proof of what I say but somebody’s got to be willing to give. Try moist warm teabags on the eyes then do slight “eye crunching” and then use fingertip of any kind and lightly tap undr the eyes gently. I don’t know if this will work . Do this during washing your face. The water should be luke warm and gently pat and crunch the eyes. Pat them dry and immediately apply eye cream or soothing eye gel. Avoid fatty foods and stay active. I wish there really was an easy way to remove this eye fat but doing these steps help me to feel invigorated and springs my spirits. Remember however YOU ARE AS BEAUTIFUL AS YOU THINK YOU ARE BECAUSE YOU ARE WORTH EVERY EFFORT AND LOVE GOD HAS GRANTED FOR YOU IN YOUR FAITH AND SUCCESS IN LIFE.
Wow, there is a name for this…I developed a pouch under my left eye around the time we moved to an area that is known for allergies. I don’t want to have “work” done, and I’ve been using facial exercises to try to help, which it has a little. Right now, I’m making a coffee/aloe vera “masque” that I put on when I get up of a morning for about 20 minutes while I have tea, rinse it off, and then put on my eye cream and makeup. It helps, but I’m beginning to lose hope and think that I will eventually have to have eye work done if and when I can afford it. At 56, that might not happen until I’m 65. But I don’t feel so alone now.
Well if your over 30 and having this problem at least ou are older. I’m 24 and mine literally developed in 3 months. The wrinkles have slowed but the bags are much worse. I hade rubbed my eyes for weeks after an allergic reaction and I fear I have permanentley cause the skin to be saggy maybe loosening the ligaments or something. My eyes look horrible and it has taken away my beauty I think. I fear as I age it will get really really bad. Also they look hollow around the sockets at the same time. I already have odd eyes genetically but being an insomniac has worsened it